Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-10-28
THE TURTLE In ITS LAIR.
RoW TIE BAHAMA NATIVES HAIR.
VEST THE LIVING CROP.
The Whole Family Hunts the Beast
and Assists IN its Capture-Peg-
QiuP Turtles.

chicken OF the day before, comes chleDy
from the Bahamas and from Nassau the
only city of the Bahamas.
They a'e ha vested al % in Cuba, Hayti,
and many points on the Southern coast,
but in the Bahama Islands they seem to
find the richest feed ng grounds, aud the
turtles OF EieptheT5s, Car Island (Which
Christopher Columbia discovered and
called san salvador ,tsud all the rect of tie
Bahama group are famous among epicures
for their turtles. The hawGbill turtle,
valuable for its She Is also plentiful on
those islands, but it is sent mostly TO
England, The turtles are caught by
vessels fitted out for the purpose by the
Nassau dea ers, and also by the poor in
habitants of the several islands, as an
inc; dental aid in their struggle for a
livelihood. These people are pictur-
esque race, with queer ways OF life, and
in nothing are they more picturesque
than in their turtle fishing.
Circuit Justice l.. D. Powles, of Bahama
land, whose experience with both the
tur les and the ma ives has been ample,
telling how this ama5le and luscious
beast is captured in his neighborhood,
says:
These families who live in the out
islands and do all the turtle fishing that
is not done by the strictly business
schooners and men from Nassau, have
for home house whose walls are built
Of coral limestone, roughly plastered to-
gether and rooted with palmetto thatch.
There are probably twelve or fourteen in
the family, aud they all live in one little
room, pretty nearly bare of furniture.
Nobody but papa and mamma rise to the
dignity Of bed. The rest can sleep any,
where. When not asleep, nearly all of
their lives age spent cut of doors. Be-
hind the house is some big tree, where
mother cooks and wa hes and father
whack5 her and the child en- by turns, un-
less, as occasionally happens, she is boss
and does the whacking herself. They
have not much need of money, for they
can grow oranges, bananas, and other
tropical fruits in plenty, with corn and
sweet potatoes, and fish is to be had for
the catching. But the out1islander
stands sometimes in need of clothes and
groceries. which have to be paid for AS
turtles will either produce cash or its
substitute, he occasionally goes off on q
turtling expedition. After days of post.
poning and putting off, he finally pulls
himself togethe" and off he goes, press
ing ali his family into the service.
There is not much need to close up the
house, for there are no robbers, and nc
probable intruder except the hogs, which
don't count
THE turtle beach may be many miles
away, but most likely he has boat, in
which he manages to reach it in the
course OF few hours. All the party
have bare feet, but otherwise are dressed
much the same as civilized people.
Arrived at the turtle beach, he put:
one of the boys in the boat and lets hin
row along it while the rest of the party
walk, keepinga sharp lookout for turtles
Sometimes the beach is ten miles long
and perhaps the party draws the whole
of it blank, in which case they beach th'
boat and camp out for the night. Fer
haps they have the luck to see a monste
green turtle before they have measured
half the distance. If the party is in lucl
and sights monster female turtle of 50t
pounds, laying her eggs in the hot sand
little ahead, the party divides at once an(
the chatt ring ceases-silence is neces
sary clement of success. One half of tn,
party make for the water to cut off he
retreat; the other half steal noiseless.,
up and turn her on her back--a tougl
job in the case of turtle as big as 50t
pounds. Once on her back she is help
less, aad some of the other 20 of
in search OF palmetto leaves or tougl
grass with which to tie her fins, whilt
the others stand round and talk t,
her, jeering and making game of he
forlorn cond .tion, taking care, however
to give her mouth wide berth, for sh,
is still able to bite with considerable eff
feet. When the Others return they Gu
sits in her fins and tie them back tightl,
together. Thus secured, she is carre(
on board the boat and given in charge o
the boy, while the land contingent star
on their road rejoicing ir search of an
other victim. Before going on, though
they will lunch on the eggs their pris
oner has lef: behind her. These eggs ar
a deli acy much priced in Nassau, bu
probably by the time they get there the
, VII have gone bad, and it is only on rar
occasions, when turtles are caught i
New Province or its immediate neigh
borhood, that they are found in th
market.
"The eggs disposed of, the party move
on once more, and perhaps, just at tn
close of the day, catches a hawksbil,
good deal smaller In size, but quite a
valuable, for this time the value is in tn
: she'll, not in the weight. This is goo,
days work; the family row home con
tented, and place their turtles In COT
place to await the chance of a ship t
carry them up to Nassau"
Another way of catching turtles is tn
.. pegging of them in sLoal water--that is
striking them with grain or; two
! pronged spear. THIS way is adopted b
vessels engaged in the turtle fisheries, bu
j. 1t can only be used in the case of gree
turtles, as it dam ,ges the shell.
Beside the green turtles and hawkbills
> there is another species called the lubbel
, head, which is of no practical use at all
1 The flesh of both the latter species
considered valueless, but the native
manage to make substantial meals out O
+ them all the slme.
Most of the turtles taken are females
for it is the females only that com
ashore for the purpose Of laying thei
eggs, the males remaining usually i
, much deeper water. The female is elsil
distinguished from the male by her tail
8 which is so short as to be absolutel
4 nominal while his usually averages six O